Impact firing mechanism



H. P. COUNCILMAN IMPACT FIRING MECHANISM Jan. 22 1924.

v Filed June 22 1922 fljpdyzmig zg By MMZ Patented Jan. 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HALSTEAD P. COUNCILMAN, OF ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TARY OF WAR OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TRUSTEE.

TO SECRE- IMPACT FIRING MECHANISM.

Application filed June 22, 1922. Serial No. 570,250.

(FILED UN-DER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L, 625

, 1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HALSTEAD P. COUN- OILMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Asheville, county of Buncombe, and State of North Carolina, have invented an Improvement in Impact Firing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. I

The invention described hereinmay be used by the Government, or any of its officers or employees in rosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The subject of this invention is an impact firing mechanism intended, primarily, for use in impact grenades, though not confined to such use.

In designing the firing mechanism for an impact grenade so as to gain the highest efliciency it is necessary to provide means for functioning the primer in whatever position the'grenade may engage its objective and which may be held absolutely safe during handling and transportation.

The object of the present invention is, therefore, the provision of a firing mechanism to function the primer upon impact in any direction and of means for retain-. in the firing mechanism unarmed and safe.

T carry out these objects by providing an unbalanced weighted striker with means for holding the striker against movement and for isolating the primer from the detonator fuse or explosive charge as the case may be.

With these and other objects in view which will hereinafter more fully appear the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention hereiln 'idisclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without de arting from the spirit of the invention.

ne practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of and having a detonator tube or casing 2' suitably secured therein and extending axially thereof.

One end of the grenade body is recessed, as at 3, to provide a cavity for the reception of the firing mechanism.

Within the cavity 3 is placed a primer carrier or casing 4 which is preferably of cylindrical formation and provided with a bore 5 extending axially thereof and preferably concentric with the tube 2 when assembled. The bore 5 is countersunk at one end to provide a seat for the primer 6. A bore 7 extends diametrically of the carrier 4 and communicates with the bore 5 and is of slightly greater diameter than the bore 5. As will be understood, the bore 5 furnishes a vent for the flash of the primer to permit ignition of the detonating charge whlch vent is normally completely closed by a safety pin to be hereinafter described, which is positioned in the bore 7.

The carrier 4 is of less diameter than the cavity 3 and is encircled by aring8 in which it is freely slidable the ring having a sliding fit in the cavity. 7

A striker is rovidedfor functioning the primer which as a hollow frusto conical portion 9 formed with an outwardly pro- 'ecting annular flange 10 and terminating in its vertex in a cylindrical stem 11. A firing pin 12 pro'ects forwardly from the stem into the hollow portion.

The striker is held in spaced relation to the carrier 4 by suitable means such as a coiled spring 13. Normally the striker is retained in unarmed position by the ring 8 abutting against one face of the flan e 10 and holding the other face of the ange against the extending portion of a washer 14 which encircles the striker and rests upon an annular shoulder surrounding the mouth of the cavity 3 against which it is bound by a screw cap 15 which is threaded into the grenade body and serves to protect and cover the firing mechanism. x -The ring 8 is held in position to retain the striker unarmed by a safety in 16 which is positioned in the bore 7 o the carrier 4 and a bore 17 formed in the grenade body and communicating with the cavity 3.

The bore 17 is countersunk to provide a housing for the head of the pin 16 and for a coiled spring'18 confined between the head of the pin 16 and the bottom of the counterbore and tendingto force the pin out of the bores 7 and 19 to release the firing mechanism to armed position. The pin is held against expansion of the spring 18 preferably through the instrumentality of a wire or pin 19 which is inserted throu h alinin bores formed in the body of t e grena e and head of the pin 16, thevend of which pin 19 may be bent to form a loop. 20 which may be grasped for the purpose of withdrawing the P111 19.

In use, a enade is held in one hand ready to be t rown. With the other hand the loop 20 is grasped and the pin 19 withdrawn releasing the pin 16 to expulsion under the force of the expanding spring 18; this releases the ring 8, primer carrier,

4 and the striker. I

When the grenade strikes an objective the firin mechanism will fiundtion even though t e grenade strikes on its side as the striker will fulcrum on one portion of its flange 10 as indicated most clearly in a ring slida le within the casing, a primer carrier slidable within the ring, a striker normally held against movement by the ring and releasable means for normally holding the ring and primer carrier against movement and isolating a primer from the main charge.

3. A firing mechanism, including a casing, a primer carrierslidable within the casing, a striker within the casing and means for locking the carrier and striker in unarmed position, including means for isolating a primer from themain char e. I Y

4. .A firing mechanism, inc uding a casing, a primer within the casing, a shoulder formed within the casing and a striker formed. with. an annular-flange normally resting against the shoulder and adapted to; fulcrum thereon when the casing strikes on its side to prime the primer.

HALSTEAD P. COUNCILMAN. 

